Food product load assembly for a food product slicing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A food product forming machine is configured to slice food product into slices. A main frame mounts a load assembly which receives food product and moves the food product through an opening in the main frame, a feed assembly downstream of the load assembly which moves food product through the main frame, and a slicing assembly downstream of the feed assembly which slices the food product into slices. In a first embodiment, the load assembly is at a rear end of the main frame, and in a second embodiment, the load assembly is at a side of the main frame. The load assembly is pivotally mounted to the main frame.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/271,459, filed on Oct. 25, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to an apparatus for slicing food products and, more particularly, to improvements to an apparatus for slicing food products, such as pork bellies.

BACKGROUND

Food product slicing apparatuses often include a load assembly for loading food products onto a feed assembly of the apparatus. Some load assemblies are provided by a stand-alone assembly, which is separate and apart from the main frame of the food slicing apparatus. Some load assemblies are bolted to the main frame of the food slicing apparatus. In order to provide for cleaning and inspection of the food slicing apparatus, the load assembly must be moved away from the main frame. When the load assembly is bolted to the main frame, the load assembly must be unbolted from the main frame which is time consuming. In addition, these assemblies may weigh hundreds of pounds and require a fork lift or pallet jack for movement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The organization and manner of the structure and operation of the disclosed embodiments, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, wherein like reference numerals identify like elements in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a rear perspective view of a food product slicing apparatus which has a rear load assembly provided thereon;

FIG. 2 depicts a cross-sectional view of the food product slicing apparatus of FIG. 1 , with a loading tray assembly in a lowered position;

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of the food product slicing apparatus of FIG. 1 , with the loading tray assembly in a raised position;

FIG. 4 depicts a partial rear perspective view of the food product slicing apparatus with the rear load assembly in a first position;

FIG. 5 depicts a partial rear perspective view of the food product slicing apparatus with the rear load assembly in a second, pivoted position;

FIG. 6 depicts a partial side elevation view of the food product slicing apparatus with the rear load assembly in the second, pivoted position;

FIG. 7 depicts a rear perspective view of a food product slicing apparatus which has a side load assembly provided thereon and in a first position;

FIG. 8 depicts a partial rear perspective view of the food product slicing apparatus of FIG. 7 with the side load assembly in a second, pivoted position;

FIG. 9 depicts a cross-sectional view, shown in perspective, of the food product slicing apparatus of FIG. 7 with the side load assembly in the first position; and

FIG. 10 depicts a cross-sectional view of the food product slicing apparatus of FIG. 7 with the side load assembly in the first position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the disclosure may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and herein will be described in detail, specific embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure, and is not intended to limit the disclosure to that as illustrated and described herein. Therefore, unless otherwise noted, features disclosed herein may be combined together to form additional combinations that were not otherwise shown for purposes of brevity. It will be further appreciated that in some embodiments, one or more elements illustrated by way of example in a drawing(s) may be eliminated and/or substituted with alternative elements within the scope of the disclosure.

A food product load assembly for a food product slicing apparatus and methods associated with the same are provided. With reference to the figures, one example of a food product slicing apparatus 20 is shown and is used to slice food products into slices. The food products may be comprised of a wide variety of edible materials including, but not limited to meat, such as pork bellies, beef, chicken, fish, etc., and cheese.

Generally as shown in FIGS. 1-3 , the food product slicing apparatus 20 includes a main frame 22, a load assembly 24 mounted on the main frame 22, a feed assembly 26 mounted on the main frame 22 downstream of the load assembly 24, a slicing assembly 28 having a slicing blade rotatably mounted on the main frame 22 downstream of the feed assembly 26, and an output assembly 30 mounted on the main frame 22 downstream of the slicing assembly 28. The food product slicing apparatus 20 further includes a control system 32 configured to control operation of the components of the food product slicing apparatus 20. The main frame 22 supports the load assembly 24, the feed assembly 26, the slicing assembly 28, and the output assembly 30 on a ground surface and includes various mechanisms and power systems for powering the food product slicing apparatus 20. The load assembly 24 and the feed assembly 26 are configured to support and handle the food products and to move the food products to the slicing assembly 28. The slicing assembly 28 is configured to slice the food products into individual slices. The sliced food product is supported on the output assembly 30, which may be a conveyor, in stacks or in shingles and moved away from the slicing assembly 28. The control system 32 includes all the necessary hardware and software to perform all of the operations and functions of the food product slicing apparatus 20. The control system 32 may be mounted on the main frame 22 or may be remote from the main frame 22.

In an embodiment, the feed assembly 26 includes a loading tray assembly 104 mounted on the main frame 22 downstream of the load assembly 24, and a drive assembly 106 mounted on the main frame 22 downstream of the loading tray assembly 104. The loading tray assembly 104 moves food products from the load assembly 24 to the drive assembly 106, and the drive assembly 106 moves food products to the slicing assembly 28. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the loading tray assembly 104 includes longitudinally extending support frame 112 having a front end pivotally attached to the main frame 22 at a pivot 114, a conveyor 116 mounted on an upper side of the support frame 112, an actuator 118 for lifting or lowering the support frame 112 and the conveyor 116. The actuator 118 may be pneumatic cylinder. The loading tray assembly 104 is pivotable around pivot 114 to move the conveyor 116 from a lowered position which is aligned with the loading tray assembly 104 to a raised position which aligns the loading tray assembly 104 with the drive assembly 106. The drive assembly 106 comprises one or more conveyors.

The load assembly 24 is mounted to the main frame 22. In a first embodiment, the load assembly 24 is provided as a rear load assembly, see FIGS. 1-6 , which loads the food products through an opening 34 at a rear end 22 a of the main frame 22. In a second embodiment, the load assembly 24 is provided as a side load assembly, see FIGS. 7-10 , which loads the food products through an opening 36 in a side 22 c of the main frame 22.

The rear load assembly 24 of FIGS. 1-6 includes a loading frame 40 hingedly mounted to the main frame 22 by a hinge 42, a conveyor 44, and a lock 46. The rear load assembly 24 can positioned in a first position as shown in FIGS. 1-4 in which a longitudinal axis of the conveyor 44 between an upstream end 44 a and a downstream end 44 b is in line with the opening 34, and a second position as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in which the longitudinal axis of the conveyor 44 is not in line with the opening 34. The rear load assembly 24 is pivoted around hinge 42 to move between the first and second positions.

The loading frame 40 includes a vertical cover plate 48 which has a side thereof hingedly connected to the main frame 22 by the hinge 42, and a plurality of supports 50, 52, 54 thereon for supporting the conveyor 44. The supports 50, 52, 54 include a first vertical support 50 mounted to the vertical cover plate 48, a second support 52 extending rearwardly from the first support 50, and a connecting third support 54 extending between a lower end of the first support 50 and a rear end of the second support 52 such that a generally right-angle triangular shape is provided by the loading frame 40. While the first support 50 is shown as a separate component from the cover plate 48, the cover plate 48 and the first support 50 can be a one-piece construction. The connecting third support 54 is coupled to the first support 50 such that the position of the connecting third support 54 can be varied relative thereto, thereby varying the angle at which the second support 52 is positioned relative to the cover plate 48 and the first support 50. The conveyor 44 is on top of the second support 52. The first support 50 includes a plurality of pairs of spaced apart apertures 56 a, 56 b, 56 c which receive connecting members 58, such as fasteners or spring-loaded pins, extending from the connecting third support 54. When the connecting members 58 are engaged with the middle apertures 56 b, the second support 52 and the conveyor 44 are generally horizontal. When the connecting members 58 are engaged with the other apertures 56 a, 56 c, the second support 52 and the conveyor 44 are angled at different angles relative to the horizontal.

The hinge 42 may take the form of top and bottom bearings 60 mounted in trunnions 62 extending from the main frame 22, and a shaft 64 journaled within the bearings 60 for rotation and connected to the vertical cover plate 48 at top and bottom ends thereof. In order to allow the loading frame 40 and the conveyor 44 to rotate away from the main frame 22, the loading frame 40 must have sufficient strength to deter damage thereto. In this regard, the hinge 42 that connects the cover plate 48 to the main frame 22 is reinforced, the cover plate 48 is reinforced, and the supports 50 52, 54 are formed of thicker sheet metal so as to be able to withstand the weight of the conveyor 44. In addition, the cover plate 48 has notches 66 formed at a lower portion thereof which engage with a support shaft 68 of the main frame 22 when the loading frame 40 is in the first position. This engagement of the notches 66 with the support shaft 68 transfers the load of the loading frame 40 and conveyor 44 to the main frame 22.

The conveyor 44 is mounted on an upper side of the support 52 and is movable relative to the loading frame 40 to move food products from an upstream end 44 a of the conveyor 44 to the downstream end 44 b of the conveyor 44 and through the opening 34 when the loading frame 40 is in the first position. The conveyor 44 includes an endless belt wrapped around a plurality of wheels, with at least one of the wheels being a drive wheel or being driven by a separate drive wheel. A longitudinal axis is defined between the upstream end 44 a and the downstream end 44 b. The endless belt defines a planar upper surface 70 upon which food products will translate along the conveyor 44.

An elongated bar 72 is provided on the loading frame 40 and extends over the upper surface 70 of the endless belt from generally the upstream end 44 a thereof to the downstream end 44 b thereof. The bar 72 is coupled to the second support 52 by an adjustment mechanism which is configured to move the bar 72 across a portion of the upper surface 70 of the endless belt. The bar 72 is always parallel to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor 44. The side of the food product may be engaged with the bar 72 to properly align the food product on the conveyor 44.

The lock 46 secures the loading frame 40 and the conveyor 44 into the first position relative to the main frame 22. In an embodiment, the lock 46 is a rotatable handle having a shaft extending through the cover plate 48 and a latch at an end of the shaft which engages with a lock plate of the main frame 22. The operator can grasp the handle to rotate the latch. When the lock 46 is closed, the lock 46 puts a preload onto the loading frame 40. Other lock assemblies are within the scope of the present disclosure. The loading frame 40 cannot be pivoted relative to the main frame 22 when the lock 46 is locked, and conversely, the loading frame 40 can be pivoted relative to the main frame 22 when the lock 46 is unlocked. The cover plate 48 covers part of the opening 34 in the rear end 22 a of the main frame 22 when in the first position. The loading frame 40 and conveyor 44 are cantilevered relative to the main frame 22 when pivoted to the second position, and when the loading frame 40 is pivoted to the second position, the internal components of the food product slicing apparatus 20 can be accessed through the opening 34. In addition, when the loading frame 40 is pivoted to the second position, a separate load assembly (not shown) can be positioned rearward of the food product slicing apparatus 20 for loading food products through the opening 34.

As shown in FIGS. 7-10 , the side load assembly 24 includes a loading frame 74 hingedly mounted to the main frame 22 by a hinge 42 a, a driven pusher plate 76 mounted on the loading frame 74, and lock 46 a. The side load assembly 24 can pivoted to a first position in which the pusher plate 76 is in line with the opening 36, and a second position in which the pusher plate 76 is not in line with the opening 36.

The loading frame 74 includes a vertical cover plate 78 which has a side thereof hingedly connected to the main frame 22 by a hinge 42 a, a horizontal tray 80 extending outward from the cover plate 78 proximate to a bottom end thereof, and a loading tub 82 formed of upright plates 84 a, 84 a, 84 c and a portion of the cover plate 78. An open topped cavity 88 is formed by the loading tub 82. The cover plate 78 covers the opening 36 when the loading frame 74 is in a first position. The hinge 42 a is identically formed to the hinge 42 shown in the rear load assembly 24 of FIGS. 1-6 and the specifics are not repeated herein. The supports include. An opening 90 is provided through the cover plate 78 above the tray 80 and is aligned with the opening 36 when the loading frame 74 in the first position. The plate 84 c is parallel to the cover plate 78 and has an opening 92 provided therethrough which is in line with the opening 90 and above the tray 80.

The tray 80 includes a horizontal upper plate 94 along which the pusher plate 76 translates. The openings 90, 92 are above the upper plate 94. The pusher plate 76 is horizontal and is configured to pass through the openings 90, 92 when activated by an actuator 96, which may be a pneumatic cylinder. The pusher plate 76 has a planar food product engaging surface 98 at its inner end. The pusher plate 76 is reciprocally movable back and forth along the tray 80 and translates in a direction which is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the feed assembly 26. The food product engaging surface 98 is parallel the longitudinal axis of the feed assembly 26.

A stack of food product is loaded into the cavity 88 of the loading tub 82 through the open top. When the actuator 96 is activated to extend the pusher plate 76, the bottommost food product is engaged by the food product engaging surface 98 and pushed through the opening 90 in the cover plate 78, through the opening 36 in the main frame 22, and onto the feed assembly 26 when the loading frame 74 is in the first position and the feed assembly 26 is in its lowered position. When the pusher plate 76 is retracted by the actuator 96 out of the cavity 88, the next food product in the stack falls onto the horizontal upper plate 94.

A height adjustable plate 100 may be provided on the cover plate 78. In an embodiment, the height adjustable plate 100 is within the cavity 88. The vertical position of the height adjustable plate 100 can be varied to increase or decrease the height of the opening 90 to accommodate different sizes of the food product and to only allow a single food product to pass through the opening 90 at a time. The height adjustable plate 100 has a releasable lock 102 thereon which is released to allow the height adjustable plate 100 to be moved to different positions to restrict the size of the opening 90. In an embodiment, the cover plate 78 includes a plurality of spaced apart and vertically aligned apertures therethrough and the height adjustable plate 100 includes a connecting member, such as a fastener or a spring-loaded pin, which extends through one of the apertures. When the connecting member is released from the aperture, the height adjustable plate 100 can be slid vertically relative to the cover plate 78 to a new position wherein the connecting member aligns with a different aperture and can be engaged therewith to change the size of the opening 90.

The lock 46 a secures the loading frame 74 into the first position. In an embodiment, the lock 46 a is identically formed to the lock 46 shown in the rear load assembly 24 of FIGS. 1-6 and the specifics are not repeated herein. Like that of the rear load assembly 24 of FIGS. 1-6 , the loading frame 74 cannot be pivoted relative to the main frame 22 when the lock 46 a is locked, and conversely, the loading frame 74 can be pivoted relative to the main frame 22 when the lock 46 a is unlocked. The loading frame 74 is cantilevered relative to the main frame 22 when pivoted to the second position. When the loading frame 74 is pivoted to the second position, the internal components of the food product slicing apparatus 20 can be accessed through the opening 36. In addition, when the loading frame 74 is pivoted to the second position, a separate load assembly (not shown) can be positioned to the side of the food product slicing apparatus 20 for loading food products through the opening 36.

While a single side load assembly 24 is shown and described, a second side load assembly can be provided on the other side of the main frame 22. The first and second side loading assemblies can alternate loading food product onto the feed assembly 26, or after the first side load assembly is depleted of food product, then the second side load assembly is activated while the first side load assembly is being refilled.

In addition, while the rear load assembly 24 with the conveyor 44 is shown and described at the rear end of the main frame 22, the load assembly 24 with the conveyor 44 could instead be provided at the side of the main frame 22 to feed the food products through the opening 36. Likewise, while the load assembly 24 with the pusher plate 76 is shown and described at the side of the main frame 22, the load assembly 24 with the pusher plate 76 could instead be provided at the rear end 22 a of the main frame 22 to feed the food products through the opening 34.

In use, the rear load assembly 24 or the side load assembly 24 is positioned in the first position and locked to the main frame 22. The food product is loaded on the rear conveyor 44 of the rear load assembly 24 or into the open topped cavity 88 of the tub 82 and onto the upper plate 94. The loading tray assembly 104 positioned in the first, lowered position. The rear conveyor 44 is activated to move the food product through the opening 34 or the driven pusher plate 76 is activated to move the food product through the opening 36 and onto the conveyor 116. Thereafter, the loading tray assembly 104 is moved to the raised position. The conveyor 116 may be driven to move the food product into engagement with the feed assembly 26, or if the conveyor 116 is not driven, the food product may slide along conveyor 116, to the slicing assembly 28 to be sliced. After the food product is no longer on the conveyor 112, the loading tray assembly 104 moves from the raised position to the lowered position for acceptance of a new food product from the rear load assembly 24 or the side load assembly 24.

While particular embodiments are illustrated in and described with respect to the drawings, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the scope of the disclosure and the appended claims is not limited to the specific embodiment illustrated in and discussed with respect to the drawings and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure and appended drawings. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure and the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A food product slicing apparatus for slicing food product into slices comprising: a main frame; a load assembly mounted on the main frame and configured to receive food product and to move the food product through an opening in the main frame; a feed assembly mounted in the main frame downstream of the load assembly, the feed assembly being configured to move food product through the main frame; and a slicing assembly in the main frame downstream of the feed assembly and configured to slice the food product into slices.
 2. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the load assembly is hingedly attached to the main frame at a hinge, wherein the load assembly is proximate to the opening and to the feed assembly in a first position, and the load assembly is rotated around the hinge in a second position.
 3. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the load assembly comprises a support coupled to the main frame by the hinge, and a conveyor mounted on the support, wherein the conveyor aligns with the opening in the first position.
 4. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 3, wherein an angular position of the support can be varied relative to the main frame to vary the angular position of the conveyor.
 5. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a lock configured to secure the load assembly in the first position.
 6. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the load assembly comprises a plate extending from the main frame below the opening, the plate being coupled to the main frame by the hinge, and a pusher mounted on the plate, the pusher being activable for reciprocating motion for moving food product positioned on the plate through the opening.
 7. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the load assembly further comprises a tub on the plate, the tub having first and second aligned openings through which the pusher can move to move food product onto the feed assembly when in the first position.
 8. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the load assembly further comprises a height adjustable plate, wherein a vertical position of the height adjustable plate can be varied to vary a size of the second opening.
 9. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the load assembly further comprises a lock configured to fix the position of the height adjustable plate relative to the tub.
 10. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the pusher is movable in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the feed assembly.
 11. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the opening is in a rear of the main frame.
 12. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the load assembly is hingedly attached to the main frame at a hinge, wherein the load assembly is proximate to the opening and to the feed assembly in a first position, and the load assembly is rotated around the hinge in a second position.
 13. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the load assembly comprises a support coupled to the main frame by the hinge, and a conveyor mounted on the support, wherein the conveyor aligns with the opening in the first position.
 14. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 13, wherein an angular position of the support can be varied relative to the main frame to vary the angular position of the conveyor.
 15. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a lock configured to secure the load assembly in the first position.
 16. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the opening is in a side of the main frame.
 17. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 16, wherein the load assembly comprises a plate extending from the main frame below the opening, and a pusher mounted on the plate, the pusher being activable for reciprocating motion for moving food product positioned on the plate through the opening.
 18. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the load assembly further comprises a tub on the plate, the tub having first and second aligned openings through which the pusher can move to move food product onto the feed assembly.
 19. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the load assembly further comprises a height adjustable plate, wherein the position of the height adjustable plate can be varied to vary the size of the second opening.
 20. The food product slicing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the pusher is movable in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the feed assembly. 